With an election in less than two weeks, state government in a shambles and lawmakers looking for cover, this would not be a good time to accept anything coming out of Springfield at face value.

Case in point: The Illinois House voted 110-4 on Thursday to allow Chicagoans to elect their own school board.

In one fell swoop, House members overwhelmingly turned aside two decades of opposition by Chicago’s mayors to let the people control their schools, as Democrats and Republicans joined together in blissful solidarity with the Chicago Teachers Union.

Or just as likely House Speaker Mike Madigan allowed everyone to fool themselves again with a pre-election maneuver, the purpose of which we mere mortals may never know.

I’m not sure why he’s confused. He solved the mystery about why this bill passed twice in his first four paragraphs…

With an election in less than two weeks

a pre-election maneuver

* And, of course, there’s this, which is pretty much identical to what I told my subscribers earlier…

After talking with a few more folks, the consensus is that Speaker Mike Madigan, as usual, had some personal reasons to let this bill go forward. That is helping his own re-election prospects against the first real primary challenge he’s faced in many years. Electing school board members polls awfully well.

It polls well everywhere in the city.

Plus, since Emanuel ally President Cullerton is the Senate sponsor, there’s little to no danger that it’ll actually become law.

All politics aside, it’s inarguable that total mayoral control of CPS has failed. (Thanks again, 1995 Amendatory School Reform Act!) But a 20-member hyper-political school board does not sound like a cure.

A hybrid appointed/elected board might be the way to go. That would preserve some mayoral accountability while adding some much need dissenting voices.

Rats.
When I heard this tidbit on the radio, I thought to myself that this is a promising development. At long last, a little bit of hope that sanity had returned to Springfield.
I did not consider these electoral realities and my tiny bubble of hope and promise has been burst.
Rats.